CPD 23 Thing 16: Advocacy, speaking up for the profession and getting published

Right, so following on from the Memo Board post we’re now back to something library related, and thing 16 for CPD 23.

So why is it important to advocate for libraries?  In simple terms, just because it is! Libraries offer so much to so many, and without them we’d all be poorer.  Maybe not financially (well actually I would be in terms of the number of books I’d need to buy!), but in terms of access to information, skills and by no means least – literacy.  The National Literacy Trust have run various campaigns and projects to help raise awareness of literacy needs and developing skills to enhance lives - in Suffolk we were involved in the pilot for the Partners in Literacy project and because of that we held a some great World Book Night events.  There were over 200 people in Great Cornard Library on WBN (many of whom wouldn’t usually feel comfortable in a library) and over 20 adults completing the six book challenge in that library alone this year – if that’s not a great piece of advocacy for libraries working with communities I don’t know what is!

Whether used for study, research, hobby building, job hunting or reading for pleasure the library is there for you - Sue Perkins’ minute on libraries on ‘just a minute’ summed that up all that is great about public libraries and someone in the public eye is always going to get more attention that little ol’ me.  However, that doesn’t mean I won’t wax lyrical about libraries and why they’re so great if someone will give me the chance – I’ve just never really done it in a formal way (just when given the chance by people I know or in meetings primarily!).  My blog post on being a circus star is probably the closest I’ve come to any form of written advocacy of why libraries are great.  Something I probably need to think about changing…..